Christmas With The Matthews
by SoulfullyInclined
Summary: On a cold winter's day, a mystery arrives. Parallel lives and a journey through history. A first date goes horribly, horribly wrong. Contains drinking, abuse. Read after 'Shawn's Princess' and 'A Comedy Of Errors'. I don't own anyone. *Please Review. Be Kind/Nice.* *Involves Phantom, Jekyll & Hyde, Titanic*. *Thank you for reading/reviewing*.
1. Chapter 1

**Characters: OC:**

June: staceys friend

Lorelei: ashleys friend

Elizabeth: loreleis mom

John: Moira's boyfriend

Isabella: amy's girlfriend

Linda: erics friend, cheerleader

Lily: Shawn's current girlfriend

Ian: lilys cousin, morgans friend

Sierra, Charlotte: Shawn's sisters

Rachel: shawns half brother jacks girlfriend

James: Morgan's ex boyfriend, Lily's brother

Stacey: shawns sister, works in an Italian place

Mario: cook at the Italian place where Stacey works

Kerri, Leo, Rosemary: Leo and Kerri are Morgan's friends, Rosemary is Leo's mom

Ashley, Hannah, Josh: Morgan, Cory and Eric's siblings. Josh and Hannah are younger.

Moira: the mysterious Irish girl that used to live in the Matthews new house, unbeknownst to them. Her name's said 'mwa-ra'.

* * *

It was Christmas vacation. My sister Ashley, Lily, Angela, Rachel, Topanga, Sierra, Kerri, Isabella, Claire, june, Stacey, linda, ian, lorelei, Mr. Feeny and myself were all sitting in the living room of our snowy house that cold winter day waiting for my mom and Eric, Cory, Hannah and josh, Angela's dad Mr. Moore, Leo, Shawn, Shawn's brother Jack and Charlotte to get back from Christmas tree shopping. Mom and Eric came home carrying a giant Christmas tree. Mr Moore, Shawn, Cory, Jack and Leo helped get the tree in the front door. Ashley went up to our room to change. Hannah and Josh bounded into the living room ahead of the green top of the tree.

"We got a Christmas tree!" Hannah said.

"And they're letting all the snow in!" Charlotte cried.

Which they were now that the door was opened.

"I know I saw," I said.

"Alrite everyone stand back," Mom said.

Mr. Feeny, Angela, Rachel, Topanga, Lily, Sierra, Kerri and I stood all the way by the dining room. Eric, Shawn, Cory, Jack, Leo and Mr. Moore helped carry the tree in and put it on the stand between the front door and the stairs. Cory then closed the door. Mom, Eric, Hannah, Josh, Hannah, Mr. Moore, Leo, Shawn, Jack and Charlotte took off their coats, hats, gloves and scarves. They stuffed their hats and gloves into the pockets of their coats and put their coats and scarves on the tall, dark wood coat stand by the front door.

"Hi Amy hi Mr. Matthews," Topanga said.

Mom went to hug Topanga.

Topanga hadn't yet seen my mom that day.

"Hi Topanga. It's so nice to see you.

Isabella, mom's girlfriend, greeted Cory; "hi Cory."

"Hi Isabella."

"Amy, Isabella, hello," Mr. Feeny said.

"Hi George," Mom said.

"We have cookies and hot chocolate waiting in the kitchen," Angela said.

She and Topanga had made it earlier.

Mom looked at her; "oh that would be lovely Angela."

Angela and Topanga exited through the kitchen.

Mom and Eric sat down on the couch while Hannah sat on the chair that Angela had been sitting in previously and Josh sat in the chair Mr. Moore had been sitting in previously. The rest of us stood.

"How was New York?" Mom asked Cory.

He and Topanga lived there.

"Ok. Really busy at this time of year though."

"Yeah I would imagine."

Angela brought in a small tray of mugs with hot chocolate in them from the kitchen, with Topanga behind her carrying a tray of cookies. They set the trays down on the low, dark wood coffee table in front of the couch.

"I have some news for you all," mom said.

"So I heard," I said.

Id heard this earlier.

Mom turned to look up the stairs.

"Ashley honey come downstairs your mom has news!" Isabella called.

"Ok!" Ashley called back.

A few minutes later she bounded down the stairs and into the living room. She placed herself primly on the floor. Topanga, Angela, Jack, Rachel, Kerri, Lily, Sierra, Charlotte, Shawn, Cory, Leo and I were also sitting on the floor. Topanga and Cory were sitting together, as were Shawn and Lily, Jack and Rachel and Leo and I. Mr. Feeny and Mr. Moore were all standing.

"Well, now that we're all here," mom said; "I can finally tell you my news."

We looked at him expectantly.

"A few days ago, I went house hunting because I decided that this house is too small for 7 people to live in, myself included. And, I know that a lot of you want your own rooms."

"Well, I found a new house, some distance away. Amy and I looked it over and we liked it."

"But who's going to live here?" Ashley asked.

She meant the house we were living in now.

"Topanga and Cory can, when they visit. After all, Cory _did_ grow up here."

"Ashley, you'll be able to practice your ballet there and you won't have to change ballet schools. No one else will have to change schools, either. Morgan, we have plenty of guest bedrooms so your friends can stay over. Eric, you finally get to have your own room," Mom told us.

We were all very excited by this news.

Shawn and angela looked at each other:

"um wow hi. What are you doing here?" he ased surprised.

"I came to visit. I don't think I should be w/ hakeem."

"you came all the way from over there?"

"yeah."

"wow."

I wasn't sure who hakeem was or where 'over there' was. I knew that shawn had come back from somewhere awhile ago.


	2. Chapter 2

**Monday**

* * *

The following Monday morning I woke up at our new house in my room. Yes, that's right, my room. My own room. Each of us had our own room since we'd moved; Ashley, Hannah, Josh, Eric and myself. There was a room reserved for Cory and Topanga, if they wanted to stay with us when they visited. Our parents shared a room, of course. Sierra, Charlotte and Leo had slept over the night before. Charlotte and Sierra to escape Shawn; he had come home drunk that night. And Leo because his mom, Rosemary, had gone out of town and he didn't want to spend the night alone at his place. Our place was right next door to Lily's. Lily had a younger brother my age, James. I heard classical ballet music coming from down the hall from my bedroom and knew Ashley was already up. From the kitchen downstairs I smelled breakfast being made and knew my father would already be at the store. Charlotte and Sierra were probably still asleep.

"Morgan, breakfast is ready!" Leo called up to me.

"Ok!" I called back.

I got out of bed and got dressed in a black turtleneck and black slacks, then came down the stairs and into the kitchen where Eric, Hannah, Josh, Leo and my mom were eating breakfast around the round kitchen table. My mom smiled when she saw me.

"Hi Morgan," she said.

"Hi."

"Sierra and Charlotte still asleep?" Eric asked.

I nodded, grabbing a muffin off the basket on the counter top. Leo came from where he was sitting and hugged me from behind.

"Hey," I said.

"Hel-lo," he replied.

Now that we had a bigger house it seemed we had much more time to get ready in the morning. It was snowing outside so I knew there wouldn't be any school.

"What are you 2 doing to-day?" Mom asked me.

"Oh I don't know," Leo replied.

"We could go and explore the attic," I said.

"Ok."


	3. Attic

Leo and I were now up in the attic. We hadn't really had much of a chance to explore the rest of the house as we'd been so busy packing and unpacking and settling in. The attic took up the entire top floor of the house. The house also had a basement, then the main floor then the second floor, where the bedrooms, bathrooms and ballet studio were. The attic was huge, with a wooden floor that could give a person splinters if they weren't careful. There was a round window with 2 lace curtains on it. On a small dark wood table was a white vase of dead roses. They were now a dark purple and smelled like mashed potatos. Against one wall was a huge dark wood wardrobe. There was also a wire dress form, lots of large rectangular square boxes, some trunks and a mirror which was facing towards the boxes which were leaning against one wall. Upon one of the trunks was a monkey music box. Leo was looking through the packages while I looked at the music box more carefully. It looked like the one in Phantom Of The Opera.

"Leo look!" I cried. "A music box."

Leo came out from between the boxes and came over to look at the music box.

"Wow. That's mid 19th century," Leo told me.

I smiled. He knew a lot more about this stuff than I did.

"It looks like the one from Phantom Of The Opera," I said.

"Yes, it does."

I picked up the music box and inspected it. The monkey on it looked very sad.

"This, er I mean….whoever this belongs to, that person must've been very sad," I said.

Leo sighed and sat down on the trunk next to me. Hat boxes were stacked on the other side.

"Morgan," Leo said.

"Yes?"

"I've something astonishing to show you."

He walked over to where the mirror was. On one of the mirror's posts were strands of necklaces and scarves. Leo pushed the mirror aside so that it was against the other part of the wall, along with some of the boxes. He then unhooked the brad that was holding one of the giant boxes together. The opening of the package was near the floor, so that it would be easier to open. Leo opened the package and slowly slid whatever was in the package out. It was a painting in a gold frame. I gasped.

"Oh…..my…"

"You see what I mean then?" Leo asked me.

I nodded, too astonished to speak.

"But how, why….."

"I don't know." Leo turned and looked at me; "all I know, Morgan, is everything happens for a reason. And this painting proves it."

The painting of a young girl who looked strikingly like me. She had black ringlets and brilliant blue eyes. She was wearing a short sleeve white dress. Leo was inspecting the signature on the bottom of the painting.

As obvious as this was leo had told me that there was a reason the beautiful girl in the picture looked exactly like me.

"Who painted it?" I asked.

"Pierre DeSchomp. Paris. 1830."

"So, the music box?…" I asked wondering if it had belonged to the girl.

"Yes. Exactly."

Leo answered my question confirming it.

"Wow."

Leo walked to the very back of the attic.

"Morgan cmere you'll never believe this!' he cried.

I made my way through the narrow hallway created by the side of the attic wall and the packages to where he was standing by a dark wooden door that had a crystal door knob on it.

"Are you ready for this?" I nodded.

I didn't see how I could become more astonished than I already was.

Leo unlocked the door and inside was a pink room. It had a large vanity with a table, and a seat pushed under the table. The walls and carpet were light pink-yellow colour. The vanity was of a light yellow colour, with a 3 way mirror and curved legs leading down to curved feet which rested on the carpeting. The seat had these as well. The room was very warm and very pretty. To our left was a big white bed, with a gold wiring and a white cover. To one side of the bed was a night stand, the same colour of the vanity. To the left of the bed was a long dinner dress on a dress stand. The dress was of a light pink colour, with long sleeves and an empire waist.

"It looks like it might fit you," Leo remarked, about the dress.

I nodded, and gasped.

"Someone lived here!"

Leo turned to me and raised his eyebrows; "in the attic?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Do you think it was the girl in the painting?"

"I don't know, possibly."

And whoever had lived here was or rather had been apparently my size.

On the vanity was a small velvet jewelry box. It was dark blue. I walked over to the vanity, pulled out the seat and sat down on it. Leo smiled from the doorway.

"What?" I asked.

"You look as though you've done that before."

"Oh."

Leo walked over and sat on the seat next to me.

"I feel so silly in this room," he told me.

I laughed.

I opened the jewelry box and there, in a bed of blue velvet, was the most beautiful necklace I had ever seen. It was sapphire and diamond, in a heart shape.

"Le cuer de la mer," I said.

"The heart of the ocean," Leo and I said together.

"Or, quite possibly, the hope diamond," I said.

Leo nodded, then pulled open the drawer of the vanity and took out a stack of papers. He placed them on the vanity then closed the drawer.

"you know French?" he asked.

"well I know that much from titanic."

"oh. Right of course."

'My name is Moira O'Dell and this is my story. If you're wondering what I look like there is a painting of me in the next room, painted by Pierre DeSchomp when we visited Paris in 1830. This room is not mine it is my sister's but she died tragically. The necklace is hers', was written on the top piece of paper in thick black cursive. Leo and I gasped.

"but why would she leave it here? I mean there are a few options."

"I don't know. I think we should research it."

"yeah me too."

I looked around and saw a few books in a cabinet. The cabinet had a see through door. I went over and read the titles of the books: Jekyll and Hyde, phantom of the opera, there was one on jack the ripper and another on the astors and the actress jane seymour. And one of Scandinavian fairy tales, and insane asylums, London, paris, Ireland, prostitution, chemicals.

As we looked around some more we found an old violin, a globe

I suddenly remembered that my mom had a few sarah brightman, Deborah cox and Constantine maroulis albums in her collection and a few Gerard butler movies. She also had drew barrymores, spencer tracys, Ingrid bergman's, lana turner's, kirk douglas' and Julia Roberts' biographies.

"Do you think Lily would know anymore about this?" I asked.

Lily had lived in the house next door longer than my family had lived in our new one. She and Leo had met.

"Huh? Er, I mean, who?"

"Lily."

"Yeah, she might. The worst she can do is say no."

Leo and I bounded down the attic stairs and the second floor stairs where we grabbed our coats.

"Mom we're going to Lily's!" I called.

"Ok Morgan!" Mom called back from the kitchen.


	4. Asking Lily

Leo and I were standing in front of Lily's tall, white wood front door. Leo knocked on it.

"Come in!" we heard Lily call from inside.

"It's locked," I heard Shawn say.

"Oh, so it is."

Footsteps walked across the floor. The door opened and there stood Shawn. Behind him was the large front entrance.

"Hey Leo hey Morgan," he greeted us.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," Leo said.

"Shawn it's freezing out there let them in!" Lily called from further inside.

"Oh. Right. Um, come in."

Leo and I entered Lily's house while Shawn closed and locked the door behind us. Lily came in from the living room. She and Shawn both were wearing long black robes. From this I knew Shawn had slept over at Lily's, probably so she could help him with his hangover he would have the next morning.

"Hello," Lily greeted us.

Leo and I took off our coats, hats and gloves.

"Hey," I said.

"Would you like anything to drink? Tea, coffee, hot choclit?"

"Um hot choclit, for both of us." Leo nodded.

Lily went into the kitchen. Leo also knew that after a drunken night one would expect a hangover.

"How ya feelin?" he asked Shawn.

"Ok, better now that the hangovers gone."

"Yeah."

Shawn, Leo and I walked into the kitchen. Shawn sat down on a chair at the kitchen table and watched Lily prepare the hot choclit. Leo and I stood in the doorway, his arm wrapped around my waist.

"So what can we do for you?" lily asked at the same time Shawn said "so whatsup?".

Lily was standing at the kitchen table, waiting for the water in the silver tea kettle that was on a black stove burner to start boiling.

"Well we were wondering if you knew anything about the house Morgan just moved into," Leo said.

"Particularly you, Lily," I said.

"Um, well, some. What do you need to know?"

"Well, we went up and explored the attic today," Leo said.

Lily nodded; "mm hmm. Ours has an attic as well, and a basement."

There were already mugs on the countertops for the 4 of us.

"A nice thing to do on a day like this," Shawn said.

I nodded, agreeing; "ours has a basement, too."

Shawn looked at us, waiting for us to go on.

"And what we found there was quite interesting. In the attic, that is. Morgan you tell the story since it's _your_ house," Leo said.

"Ok. Well, we found a painting, a room, a necklace and a note."

"A note…?" Lily asked.

"Yes."

"From whom?"

"This young girl named Moira O'Dell. She was the young girl in the painting. Strangely enough, she looks strikingly like Morgan," Leo said.

Lily nodded; "I've seen that painting before so I know who you're talking about. Yes, Moira O'Dell lived there, in that house in the mid 19th century. She does look a lot like Morgan. Her sister lived in the attic. It was so tragic, her story of how she lived and died."

Already we knew a little bit more.

"What did the note say?" Shawn wanted to know.

"It said her name was Moira O'Dell and that she was the girl in the painting. She had been painted by Pierre DeSchomp in Paris in 1830. That was when they went to Paris," I continued; "She didn't say anything about the necklace though, or the music box. That's all we know. Oh and she had a sister, Anna Olivia. The one that died tragically."

Lily looked at us; "music box?" she asked.

"Yes. We found a monkey music box."

Lily was wide eyed at this.

"Oh……..my……."

Shawn looked at her; "is everything alrite?" he asked.

"Did it look like the one from Phantom Of The Opera?" Lily asked.

I nodded; "yes, exactly like it."

"My mother had one. It had been her mother's, and her grandmother's, given to her after her performance as Christine in Phantom Of The Opera."

Shawn looked at Leo; "wait, Leo?"

"Yes?"

"Didn't you say that your last name was O'Dell?"

We both knew what Shawn was getting at; "yes. Yes it is."


	5. Dear Diary

It was 4;00 that afternoon when I decided to explore the attic some more. I found some more notes Moira had written;

_Dear Diary,_

_I met the most wonderful young man! His name is John and he's from England. We talked about theatre and culture and things of that nature. He's taller than I, with dark hair and eyes. He's very nice, a bit quiet though. He's courting me later tonight. I think I'll wear back lace._


	6. Mr Feeny

**Wednesday**

* * *

It was Wednesday, the next day, and lunchtime. I had a horrible horrible headache. I guess this is what a hangover must feel like, although I've never had one before. I was at school, in Mr. Feeny's classroom. I had stayed behind to ask him about Moira. I was squinting because my head hurt so much. Mr. Feeny noticed.

"Miss Matthews, are you alrite?" he asked me.

"Yes, I'm fine, just got a bit of a headache is all."

"Perhaps you should visit the nurse."

"I'll consider it."

"Alrite."

Although I really didn't want the nurse to know that I had been drinking at the age of 17 on a first date.

"Mr. Feeny?" I asked, from my spot by a desk in the front row.

Mr. Feeny turned and looked at me.

"Yes?"

"Do you happen to know of, or remember hearing about, someone by the name of Moira O'Dell?"

"O'Dell O'Dell where have I heard that name before?" he racked his brain, trying to remember.

"Leo," I said.

"Hmm?"

"Leo, O'Dell. Son of Rosemary?"

Mr. Feeny was leaning against his large wooden desk.

"Ah yes that's right."

"So you have heard of her?"

"Yes. She's Rosemary's great grandmother, actually. Why do you ask?"

"I assume you know I've moved recently?"

Mr. Feeny nodded; "yes, yes I do."

"I found a painting of her of Moira, that is in our attic."

"Oh. Well, I don't recall hearing about her living in that house……..she lived in 1830, though, I do recall that."

"Yes I know. That's when it was painted. She was very young in that painting. They say I look a lot like her."

"That you do Miss Matthews. It's striking, really."

I went to the cafeteria where Sierra and Kerri were waiting for me. James was not at the table.

"Hey Morgan," Kerri said.

"Oy would you stop yelling?"

Sierra looked at me; "Morgan, we're not yelling."

"I know but god I've just got this awful headache."

"Migraine?" Kerri said.

"No, no, I don't get those."

"Then what?"

"I think, I have, a hangover," I leaned closer to Kerri and Sierra as I said this.

"From last night?" Kerri asked.

I nodded.

"James and I went out and I had a few drinks of wine."

"Morgan you're only 17!" Sierra said in a stage whisper.

"Shhh not so loud," Kerri told her.

"I know. I know."

"Morgan you really need to go home," Sierra told me.

"Wouldn't ow, wouldn't Mom find it suspicious though?"

"You can stay at my place for the afternoon. You know Shawn won't tell anyone."

I considered this, and nodded; "true."

Kerri, Sierra and I were walking out of the cafeteria when James approached us.

"You're coming to my house after school. And we're double dating with Shawn and Lily. Got it?" he told me.

"Oh…..ok," I said.

"So much for charming," Kerri said as we walked out.


	7. Mom

"Mom!" I called when I entered the large front entrance of our house, designed similar to that of Lily's, that night at 9 after my double date.

"Yes dear? I'm in the kitchen your dad had to work late!" she called.

I took off my hat and gloves and shoved them into the pocket of my coat, which I took off and put in the closet along with my scarf. I made my way through the entryway across the dark wood floor and into the white kitchen. My mom was sitting at the kitchen table drinking hot choclit. Everyone else was probably already asleep. My mom smiled when she saw me.

"Hi Morgan," she said.

"Hi."

I stood at the doorway. Mom looked at me.

"Do you happen to know anything about someone by the name of Moira O'Dell?" I asked.

"Well, I know she lived in this house a few centuries back."

"Yeah, I know. That's what the painting told me."

"Painting?"

"The one I found in the attic that day when Leo and I went up there."

"Oh."

"All I know is that the painting is of her and it was painted by someone by the name of Pierre DeSchomp in 1830 when they went to Paris. 'They' being Moira and her sister, Anna Olivia. There's a bedroom up there that Moira, in her notes, said was her sister's, as was the necklace that was in there. In the painting Moira was very young. Oh, and we also found a music box that Lily told me was her grandmother's."

"Ah yes. Her grandmother and mine knew each other."

"What happened?"

"She died. They both did."

"Oh."

Pause.

"So they knew each other?" I asked.

"Yes."

"But how does Moira fit into all this?"

"She's Leo's great grandmother."

"I know. That's what Mr. Feeny told me when I asked him."

"She and our grandmothers knew each other."

"Oh."

Pause.

"So, did they own the house?"

"No, no they didn't. They were going to but were tricked out of it by Pierre. They were the ones who originally owned the house."

"Oh."

"Yes. You see, Morgan, he was a very well-known artist of the time, from Paris. But he wasn't very nice. I'm sure you'll find that out later, though."

"Apparently, Anna Olivia died tragically. Least, that's what everyone keeps telling me."

"Yes, she did."


	8. Chapter 8

_Dear Diary_, Moira had written.

_John isn't who I once thought he was. He's turned mean, rude, possessive and cold, started thinking of me as his. I'm not his I'm not anyones. He wants to spend all his time with me, making sure I'm not with anyone else. He's gotten quite jealous. Or maybe it's Pierre he's jealous of; everyone knows what a brilliant artist he is and the amount of time he and I spend together, at his will and leisure. Never mine always his, for both James and Pierre. And talking of James our courting isn't going so well. I don't know what to do_.


	9. Chapter 9

I flipped through the stack of aged, crinkled papers in the drawer, finding the next diary entry of Moira's.

_Dear Diary_, it read.

_I think I've gone mad and I haven't a clue why. I love mirrors. There's one in the drawer.....another one in the trunk......and more hidden in this room where I once lived. I just sit there, staring into them. They fascinate me. I love the 3 way ones at Harrod's; they're shiny and metallic, another world I could disappear into forever. I'm recently reading the story of Alice in wonderland, through the looking glass. She goes through the mirror in her story but nothing is what it seems._


	10. Chapter 10

_Dear Diary,_ began Moira's next entry.

_About a week ago, when Mother was out, I found a razor of hers in the bathroom. She has thousands she'll never notice if one's missing. I brought it to my room and brought it to my arm. The pain I felt was like nothing I've ever experienced before. Every time John notices the 'cat scratches', as I refer to them - well, we do have a cat so it isn't that far off - he hits me. Which only leads to more of the cat scratches. I cut away the bruises, into them, on them. I find it wonderful but a bit strange._


	11. Chapter 11

Shawn

Lily and I were at her hose sitting and talking.

"so angelaa seems nice," she said.

"yeah um she is. Shes not as nice as you. She can be cold," I said.

"like my mother. So she was in Europe?"

"yeah germany last I heard."

"whose hakeem?"

"her um. Her current boyfriend."

"oh. You still love her?"

"what?" I asked surprised.

"you still love her? You still love her you do don't you," lily said.

"I remember. When she left a year or 2 after. That was when it really hit me that she was never coming back. So you know I digested it and then I was over it up untill now. This point."

"so you only thought you were over it."

"yeah," I said standing.

"what can I get you?" lily asked looking at me as I went to the cabinets.

"um its fine ill get it," I said.

"oh. Ok."

"you want anything?"

"whiskey if we have it."

"yeah we just might," I said opening the white overhead cabinets and spotting a bottle.

"you dink?" I asked looking at my girlfriend as I got out 2 glasses.

"yeah and not just wine and champagne."

"honey champgne is wine."

"only if its from that part of france."

"oh."

"when was the last time you saw her?"

"shit whats it been 3 yrs now?"

"oh. Wow. She looks familiar. Where else was she in Europe I think I might've seen here there."

"I don't know London maybe maybe paris….Ireland. Copenhagen im not sure."

"oh. She should meet amy," lily muttered.

"who angela?" I asked.

"no um Rosalie."

"oh. right. Rosalie,"

As I was pouring the drinks I looked at my girlfriend.

"youre really pretty," I told her.

"er what?" she asked finding this arbitrary.

I smiled. She sounded so English right then.

"I just. Thought you might like to know that. I think of angela differently than I think of you."

"yeah im your present and shes your past. But you cant have the present without the past. I wonder whos going to be your future. Just like with tarot cards."

"you read them?"

"well I know how to."

"oh. Youre also really sweet. And so lovely. And porcelain."

"I know what youre doing. Youre trying to lighten things so I don't get upset. When really youre just making it worse. Im already upset. And. Shes got you patsy cline."

She had me there.

"drink?" I asked taking them over.

"yes," she took hers: "yeah we never talked about that. Rosalie and tom. I don't even know toms back story."

"oh. Well his moms a lot older. Like a lot."

"oh. And as for miss Rosalie….shes not the only one I have. I guess I was trying to make up for the fact that I didn't have a family not really. My mother went mad you know. Ever read Shakespeare?"

I knew who she was referring to.

"I have actually," I told her.

"well ive a copy of his complete works if you ever want to."

"ok."

"I love Shakespeare. Um. Hows sierra?"

"she hasn't been in school lately according to morgan. She hasn't been anywhere and she doesn't do anything. She sleeps a lot apparently. I havent seen her. But ive been so busy."

"right."

"w/ college."

"and running away and traveling."

"seems she doesn't want to see me."

"yeah im not surprised. I wouldn't want to either actually," lily told me.

"I guess shes been spending a lot of time w/ their friend kerri. Last I heard."

"and hows charlotte? Who I should also meet. Actually."

"oh fine. Staceys been taking care of her. Hey what are you doing later?"

"um nothing why?"

"we could go meet her at work."

"um. Yeah maybe."


	12. Chapter 12

**Characters: OC:**

June: staceys friend

Lorelei: ashleys friend

Elizabeth: loreleis mom

John: Moira's boyfriend

Isabella: amy's girlfriend

Linda: erics friend, cheerleader

Lily: Shawn's current girlfriend

Ian: lilys cousin, morgans friend

Sierra, Charlotte: Shawn's sisters

Rachel: shawns half brother jacks girlfriend

James: Morgan's ex boyfriend, Lily's brother

Stacey: shawns sister, works in an Italian place

Mario: cook at the Italian place where Stacey works

Kerri, Leo, Rosemary: Leo and Kerri are Morgan's friends, Rosemary is Leo's mom

Ashley, Hannah, Josh: Morgan, Cory and Eric's siblings. Josh and Hannah are younger.

Moira: the mysterious Irish girl that used to live in the Matthews new house, unbeknownst to them. Her name's said 'mwa-ra'.

* * *

It was Christmas vacation. My sister Ashley, Lily, Angela, Rachel, Topanga, Sierra, Kerri, Isabella, Claire, june, Stacey, linda, ian, lorelei, Mr. Feeny and myself were all sitting in the living room of our snowy house that cold winter day waiting for my mom and Eric, Cory, Hannah and josh, Angela's dad Mr. Moore, Leo, Shawn, Shawn's brother Jack and Charlotte to get back from Christmas tree shopping. Mom and Eric came home carrying a giant Christmas tree. Mr Moore, Shawn, Cory, Jack and Leo helped get the tree in the front door. Ashley went up to our room to change. Hannah and Josh bounded into the living room ahead of the green top of the tree.

"We got a Christmas tree!" Hannah said.

"And they're letting all the snow in!" Charlotte cried.

Which they were now that the door was opened.

"I know I saw," I said.

"Alrite everyone stand back," Mom said.

Mr. Feeny, Angela, Rachel, Topanga, Lily, Sierra, Kerri and I stood all the way by the dining room. Eric, Shawn, Cory, Jack, Leo and Mr. Moore helped carry the tree in and put it on the stand between the front door and the stairs. Cory then closed the door. Mom, Eric, Hannah, Josh, Hannah, Mr. Moore, Leo, Shawn, Jack and Charlotte took off their coats, hats, gloves and scarves. They stuffed their hats and gloves into the pockets of their coats and put their coats and scarves on the tall, dark wood coat stand by the front door.

"Hi Amy hi Mr. Matthews," Topanga said.

Mom went to hug Topanga.

Topanga hadn't yet seen my mom that day.

"Hi Topanga. It's so nice to see you.

Isabella, mom's girlfriend, greeted Cory; "hi Cory."

"Hi Isabella."

"Amy, Isabella, hello," Mr. Feeny said.

"Hi George," Mom said.

"We have cookies and hot chocolate waiting in the kitchen," Angela said.

She and Topanga had made it earlier.

Mom looked at her; "oh that would be lovely Angela."

Angela and Topanga exited through the kitchen.

Mom and Eric sat down on the couch while Hannah sat on the chair that Angela had been sitting in previously and Josh sat in the chair Mr. Moore had been sitting in previously. The rest of us stood.

"How was New York?" Mom asked Cory.

He and Topanga lived there.

"Ok. Really busy at this time of year though."

"Yeah I would imagine."

Angela brought in a small tray of mugs with hot chocolate in them from the kitchen, with Topanga behind her carrying a tray of cookies. They set the trays down on the low, dark wood coffee table in front of the couch.

"I have some news for you all," mom said.

"So I heard," I said.

Id heard this earlier.

Mom turned to look up the stairs.

"Ashley honey come downstairs your mom has news!" Isabella called.

"Ok!" Ashley called back.

A few minutes later she bounded down the stairs and into the living room. She placed herself primly on the floor. Topanga, Angela, Jack, Rachel, Kerri, Lily, Sierra, Charlotte, Shawn, Cory, Leo and I were also sitting on the floor. Topanga and Cory were sitting together, as were Shawn and Lily, Jack and Rachel and Leo and I. Mr. Feeny and Mr. Moore were all standing.

"Well, now that we're all here," mom said; "I can finally tell you my news."

We looked at him expectantly.

"A few days ago, I went house hunting because I decided that this house is too small for 7 people to live in, myself included. And, I know that a lot of you want your own rooms."

"Well, I found a new house, some distance away. Amy and I looked it over and we liked it."

"But who's going to live here?" Ashley asked.

She meant the house we were living in now.

"Topanga and Cory can, when they visit. After all, Cory _did_ grow up here."

"Ashley, you'll be able to practice your ballet there and you won't have to change ballet schools. No one else will have to change schools, either. Morgan, we have plenty of guest bedrooms so your friends can stay over. Eric, you finally get to have your own room," Mom told us.

We were all very excited by this news.

Shawn and angela looked at each other:

"um wow hi. What are you doing here?" he ased surprised.

"I came to visit. I don't think I should be w/ hakeem."

"you came all the way from over there?"

"yeah."

"wow."

I wasn't sure who hakeem was or where 'over there' was. I knew that shawn had come back from somewhere awhile ago.


	13. Chapter 13

"so then that must mean….you're somehow related to Leo," I told lily once Morgan and Leo had left.

"yeah. Marie was my grandmother. She played Christine in phantom. And the interesting thing was her mother actually was Christine. She performed in a Parisian opera house where the phantom lived." she said.

"oh wow."

"you know. We still have some of his recordings. And hers. They have haunting voices. I never listen to them. He was deformed. And disturbed."

"I know I'm familiar w/ the story," I said, annoyed.

"oh. Sorry. Um. Members of my family were killed those nights. Of their performances. By the giant chandelier. I'm not sure who did it. He was an orphan the phantom. Abandoned bc of his physicality. And so the company mom took him in."

"and so he and Christine fell in love…." I added.

"yes and he kidnapped her. He threatened her terrorized everyone. So he could have her and she could have her career. He wouldn't let anything stand in their way."

"he sounds determined. And like he wanted to help."

"well yeah in his own way he did. But there's the other side of it."

"no I know."

"oh. Its not his fault he's the way he is. Er was. No one ever really loved him untill then. And it was then he let her go," lily finished.

"wow it's so sad. And beautiful. And dark."

"yeah. It is. I was her too."

I wondered what she meant by that.


End file.
